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Contemporary processes of largescale land acquisition by investors: case studies from sub-Saharan Africa

Contemporary processes of largescale land acquisition by investors: case studies from sub-Saharan Africa

Growth of emerging economies, policy commitments to biofuels and volatility in commodity prices have contributed to a marked increase in the pace and scale of foreign direct investment in land-based enterprises in the global South. This paper explores the relationship between policy and practice associated with customary rights protections in the context of large-scale land acquisitions through a document review and case study analyses from Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Findings point to the difficulty of safeguarding customary rights even in countries providing best practice legal protections, and point to the fundamental role of human agency in shaping outcomes